Our guns have two barrels, for we are from the future   I was a little sceptical coming up to the release of Mass Effect 2. Ever since Modern Warfare 2 became the most popular thing ever and somebody discovering that if you make games to make money then taking money from the development team and putting it into advertising instead is guaranteed to increase your sales, I been very cautious of a game that you can see everywhere coming up to its release. Thankfully Bioware and EA Games seem to have gotten the balance right because Mass Effect 2 (PC, Xbox 360) is not over hyped shoot ‘em up rubbish, it’s really damn good Sci-Fi and even better role playing combined with better than average shoot ‘em up bits. You play commander Shepard, a character that cannot be described because he... Similar posts

Today latest Studio Ghibli film is on in the IFI cinema open day . Called ‘Ponyo’ it is the story of a goldfish (Ponyo) that falls in love with a boy (Sōsuke) and wants to become human. At least thats what the poster says. And it does makes it a little confusing because seriously, what goldfish has a face?! What the blurb should say is the daughter of the sea wizard falls in love with a boy.. We’ve seen the littlest mermaid. We know how this works. but I digress. If you didn’t get to check it out today perhaps you’d like to check out the rest of whats on offer. The studio Ghibli collection is fables for kids in the modern world. Well. A slight twist on the modern world, with lots of cats: Cat Ambassadors, Cat witch familiars and even a Cat bus (not a bus for... Similar posts

Doesn’t anyone else find Apple supremely irritating? Sure, their products typically exhibit the cutting edge in industrial design, and their user interface design prowess is famously unrivalled.  Yet, call me a curmudgeon, a Free Software communist, or just a sore loser, but given the restrictive choices that Apple products typically offer-our way or the highway- I choose the highway every time. It’s not just the way that the company exerts paranoid control over its products through its insistence on closed software ecosystems; or the way that they thumb their nose at established computing standards in favour of proprietary alternatives. Hell, it’s not even the infamous ‘Apple Tax’ which sees Apple product users pay exorbitant prices for basic accessories... Similar posts

What are you up to tomorrow? Assuming you’re not spending the day in Rugby mode, why not drop along to the IFI’s Open Day ? To mark the end of its major redevelopment project, and to officially launch the new cinema, IFI Café Bar, IFI Film Shop and other new and improved facilities, the Irish Film Institute is offering a day of free films to audiences old and new, for everyone from families and teens to cinematic thrill-seekers and culture vultures, the IFI Open Day promises to cater for all film tastes. Tickets for all films will be available at 11am tomorrow from the IFI with a maximum of 4 tickets per person, all allocated on a first come, first served basis.. Tickets will not be available online or by phone. IFI OPEN DAY: PONYO 12.30 IFI OPEN DAY: BALLROOM... Similar posts

Here’s what’s been happening on Culch over the last week Upcoming Events Limerick for Haiti – 21 February Photograph competition in The Body Shop, Dundrum this Saturday Vicar Street concert in aid of drop Haiti’s debt – 11 February New mystery reality show An all year round event – a visit to the Guinness Storehouse And some previously mentioned events you can still catch include Peter’s garden day –   Dark dining for Valentine’s –   Little Gem –   Picturing New York –   Francis Bacon –   Galway Film Society -   Sing-along Sound of Music Culch’s Birthday This week Culch celebrated its first anniversary with a screening of the Bill Murray classic Groundhog Day: the invitation and the review Film Reviews out this... Similar posts

Say what you like about Limerick (Dolores O’Riordan is from Limerick, so I figure they’re to blame for Zo-om-bay, ay, ay, ay, which directly inspired Umber-ella-ella-ella), but its people have a mighty inclination towards the grand scale when they want something done. So it is with the plans for Hurt For Haiti, a special day-long benefit taking place on February 21st in various venues on O’Connell Street. There will be street entertainment, lovely grub, local luminaries, and even nice massages and the like, if all the lovely grub gets a bit much. And people with ears will enjoy performances from the likes of Walter Mitty and The Realists, The Funk Junkies, and The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra (Brad Pitt not included). All proceeds go to the Irish Red Cross . The... Similar posts

On Tuesday, we had Culch.ie’s first film screening. As a bit of a Happy Birthday to us, we gathered 80 people in The Sugar Club for a screening of Bill Murray’s classic comedy, Groundhog Day. Oh, for anyone that may be interested, the real Groundhog did see a shadow on Tuesday morning, so we are destined for another 6 weeks of winter. But we didn’t let that ruin our night and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I just wanted to say thanks to all the people who came along. I had so much fun once I finally calmed down. A few people I didn’t thank on the night, though I should have, are Anthony, Sinead, Eoin, Blaithin and Dave for making the night run so smoothly. I also want to thank Paula in EMI for sorting us out for some spot prizes. It was a nice touch for the... Similar posts

The Body Shop are offering punters the chance to win a dinner for 2 in Roly’s Bistro in Dundrum to the value of €200, together with a basket of The Body Shop goodies valued at €300. This Saturday, 6th of February, they are setting up a photo booth in Dundrum and are asking everyone to capture their own “signature photograph” which will be posted on The Body Shop Facebook and Flickr . To launch their new fragrance collection Love Etc…, the theme of the competition is ‘Celebrate your love for all the special people in your life’. Okay, it’s mushy as anything but it could be fun and it’s a great prize. The winners will be selected by three of Ireland’s top photobloggers before Valentines Day.   © Darren for Culch.ie, 2010. | Permalink | No... Similar posts

I know there’s been a plethora of gigs to fundraise for Haiti. This one is different as it’s more about raising awareness for the Drop Haiti’s Debt campaign. Supported by many leading Irish artists, including Cathy Davey, Julie Feeney, The Chapters and more to be announced, Trócaire will host the Drop Haiti’s Debt concert in Vicar Street on Thursday February 11th. All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards Trócaire’s relief efforts in Haiti, however the primary purpose of this concert is to raise awareness for Trócaire’s Drop Haiti’s Debt campaign. While financial assistance is of paramount importance in the immediate, in the long run Haiti will only recover and begin to build a sustainable future when its immense debt is dropped. Ciara Gaynor, Trócaire’s head of... Similar posts

It has been two years since Frightened Rabbit released The Midnight Organ Fight. Finally the Glasgow five piece are back and gearing up for the release of their third album The Winter of Mixed Drinks. The album will be out on March 1st but you can check out the first two singles “Swim Until You Can’t See Land” and “Nothing Like You” below. Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video. Like Unlike © johnmfinn for Culch.ie, 2010. | Permalink | No comments yet | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Frigthened Rabbit, Nothing Like You, Swim Until You Can't See Land, The Midnight Organ Fight, The Winter of Mixed...... Similar posts

Couch Potato this week comes to you a day later than usual. The Oscar nominations yesterday knocked me back a bit so I do apologise. We have an interesting if unexceptional line-up this week, but there should be a little something in the sack to suit everyone’s tastes. First out this week is Surrogates, the latest Bruce Willis flick directed by Terminator 3′s Jonathan Mostow. Set in a near future utopia the movie sees human being sequestered at home, no longer needing to venture out into the world, as all human activity is now conducted via surrogates, mechanical versions of the person sent forth to do their bidding. Bruce Willis plays a cop who is forced to investigate a murder where the user is killed after the surrogate is shot by an unknown weapon. It’s an odd... Similar posts

      From Image.net         (L-R) Directors Ron Clements, John Musker, Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Producer Peter Del Vecho and Supervising Animator for ‘Mama Odie’ Andreas Deja at the Irish Premiere of The Princess and the Frog at the Savoy Dublin Jan 27th 2010. Image from Image.net. I was lucky enough to attend the Irish premiere of Disney’s latest animated movie release, The Princess and The Frog. It took place on 27th January last in the Savoy cinema. Everything was looking pretty outside with a green carpet for the ’special guests’ including Anika Noni Rose who is the voice of Tiana, directors Ron Clements and John Musker, producer Peter Del Vecho and supervising animator, Andreas Deja, all pictured above. The whole lobby of the Savoy looked... Similar posts

Last Tuesday, Culch.ie began a set of posts on being a tourist in your own town with the panto . Our coverage of the mini adventure continues this week with a review of our trip to the Guinness Storehouse, home of the black stuff… We arrived at Guinness after walking for an hour and a half from Fitzwilliam Square (some of us being slower than others). Twenty minutes early for our tour, we had a bit of a sit outside the Digital Hub and a reading from The Book (await you all the round-up post for the explanation of that one) before meeting Stephen, the friendliest and most knowledgeable tour guide in all the land, for an education.Originally built in 1904 in the Chicago architectural style (in order to ensure structural integrity in the event of a fire), the Storehouse was where... Similar posts

Surreptitiously sending cakes with files in ‘em to Alex Reid, so you don’t have to. Right, let’s get all that’s obligatory out of the way. There’s these yokes called The Grammys, right? Basically, they’re awards given to musicians who already have lots of awards/reward, and they tend to be given in tandem. They were doled out over the weekend to those who’d made a big, safe splash in the world of music this year; Beyonce got ten, Taylor Swift got four, The Black Eyed Peas (who’d have a lot more than black eyes if I ever got as far as them) got three … you see how it goes. They’re awards awarded by, I imagine, elderly dears with very short attention spans. “Well, now, we can’t give that nice girl Beyonkers the Best Rap... Similar posts

Am I the last to see this?? Jedward are back with a single of their X-factor mash-up of Under Pressure and Ice Ice Baby, featuring Vanilla Ice, who if you remember had a bit of the Jedward fro back in the day too. According to their Facebook page the single’s currently at No. 2 in the i-tunes chart.  You’ll also find an exclusive message there from the lads and Ice. Here’s they are performing it at the telly awards the other week. Click here to view the embedded video. I love that Jedward are back, I love that they’re still as cheesytastic as ever and that all parties to the single choose to cash in on their random appeal, and it’s hilarious that they’re still getting booed. Surely the doubting few must be converted by now? Like Unlike © bngr for... Similar posts

Yes, another talent show!   Got To Dance judges and host   There is a serious tidal wave of talent shows on tv these days from X Factor to Britain’s Got Talent, America’s Got Talent, American Idol, Dancing on Ice, Strictly Come Dancing, Popstar to Operastar etc. etc. One of the American ones I have always enjoyed, though not watched religiously, has been So You Think You Can Dance. So You Think You Can Dance came to the UK this year and the show is being broadcast on Saturdays on BBC and now Sky One have come up with a similar type of dance talent show. In fact, I am enjoying Got To Dance, the Sky One show, much more than the UK version of SYTYCD. The three judges are much more interesting – and let’s face it – better looking and more talented, than the... Similar posts

It’s such a shame – I was looking forward to catching Snow Patrol again at this year’s Meteor Ireland Music Awards . They were due to play in a line-up that includes Westlife, The Script, Florence and the Machine, Paulo Nutini, Bell X1, Pixie Lott, Brian Kennedy and The Dublin Gospel Choir and The Coronas, but “due to illness”, they’ve had to pull out. It seems Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody has been diagnosed with a dislocated jaw brought on by an old injury and will require immediate medical treatment. Sounds rough. I hope he recovers quickly. Here’s Snow Patrol in action at 2008’s Meteors with Run: The tenth Meteor Music Awards will be in the RDS on 19th February and will be aired on Sunday 21st February RTE 2 at 9pm. Tickets are sold... Similar posts

Having heard nothing about it – not even watching the trailer – until we attended the premiere on Wednesday, we had no idea what to expect from Brian Lally’s debut film 8.5 Hours. However, the film that has won awards up and down the country, and been screened at numerous film festivals (including Cannes and the Galway Film Fleadh), failed to impress. The film follows a working day in the lives of four Dubliners: Rachel (Lynette Callaghan), trying desperately to raise enough money to secure the flash, Dublin 4 apartment that she just ‘HAS to have!’; Frank (Art Kearns), the oblivious husband, happily golfing his life away with his wife by his side; Tony (Jonathan Byrne), the coke snorting love rat, delighting in bedding as many women as possible; and Eoin (Victor Burke) the... Similar posts

“Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause it’s cooooold out there today.” It’s a great film. It’s my favourite comedy and many other people’s too. I’ve seen it dozens of times, but I’ve never caught it in the cinema. That’s something I will be rectifying this Tuesday, February 2nd, with the First Culch.ie Screening of Groudhog Day on……Groundhog Day. The Sugar Club on Lower Leeson Street have been kind enough to help us host the Groundhog Day screening. Doors will open at 6.30pm and we’ll have a bit of fun, some spot prizes, some drinks and then we’ll laugh our respective arses off at Bill Murray’s classic comedy. Many of your favourite Culch.ie writers and a... Similar posts

In a moment of desperation, a friend asked me to go to the cinema with her last Friday night and there was nothing on at a decent time apart from All About Steve. I hadn’t heard or seen anything of it and she hadn’t either but Sandra Bullock was in it, so how bad could it be, right? Wrong. All About Steve is the worst film I have ever seen Sandra Bullock in. I’m still shocked that she made it. I possibly should have remembered reading Nialls short synopsis at the end of this post but it had slipped from my mind. Mary Horowitz (Bullock) is an eccentric and strange young woman who sets crosswords for a living. She loves facts and information to the point that she can barely keep herself from talking non-stop about everything and anything. Her parents set her up on a... Similar posts